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Dark Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Rye Bars with flaky sea salt
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5 from 1 vote

Dark Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Rye Bars

These Dark Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Rye Bars feature a rich dark chocolate caramel with buttery oatmeal rye layers and a sprinkle of chocolate chips and pecans.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 18 Servings
Calories: 536kcal
Author: Cynthia

Ingredients

Oatmeal Cookie Layer

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
  • 1 ½ cup (195g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (120g) dark rye flour (can substitute with all-purpose flour)
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain kosher or sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ cup (120g) old fashioned (whole) oats
  • 1 ½ cup (120g) old fashioned (whole) oats, coarsely ground in food processor
  • 1 cup (100g) toasted pecan, chopped
  • 1 cup (180g) mini chocolate chips

Dark Chocolate Caramel Layer

  • 11 oz (311g) bag of caramels, unwrapped
  • 4 oz (113g) dark chocolate, chopped in bits
  • cup (80g) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray liberally with nonstick cooking spray.
    In a large bowl stir together flour, dark rye flour, salt, baking soda, and the oats. Set aside.
    
In the bowl of your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream together butter and sugar for about 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla, and mix until well combined.
  • Add wet and dry ingredients together and mix just until everything comes together. Toss your mini chocolate chips and pecans together and fold most of them into the dough, reserving some (75 g or so) to sprinkle on top. Spread ⅔ of the batter into the bottom of your prepared pan. Set the rest aside. We'll get to it in a few minutes!
  • In a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, combine caramels, chopped chocolate, cream, and salt mixing occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Pour into the pan, over the layer of oatmeal cookie dough, and spread evenly with an offset spatula I find spraying the spatula with some nonstick spray helps the smoothing go smoother. 😜
  • Drop teaspoonsful of remaining dough on top the caramel in a random cobblestone pattern. Sprinkle the reserved mini chocolate chips and pecans over the top. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with some flaky sea salt and allow to cool completely before cutting into bars. You really should wait.

Notes

  • I found the rye flour in the health food section of my regular mega market. If you can't find it or you just don't feel like you'll use it enough, don't get it. Just use regular all-purpose flour. It will absolutely still be delicious.
  • Lining your pan with parchment paper is very important if you want to be able to remove these bars from the pan. Otherwise, you'll just be eating them straight out of the pan at midnight with no one... just line the pan. It's best for everyone.

Nutrition

Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 350mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 431IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg